"What glory."
I waved my hand dismissively.
"I'm not interested."
"...Pardon?"
"I have no intention of marrying the princess."
Sir Heinrich's eyes widened.
Lise tilted her head.
"Why noot? She's a princess. Wouldn't she be pretty?"
"Just because she's a princess doesn't mean she's beautiful."
"Well... that's true, but..."
"Even if she were beautiful. Do you know what happens if you marry a princess?"
"...You become a Prince Consort?"
"You end up living under your wife's thumb."
Lise blinked.
"Under her thumb?"
Even in my past life, where male superiority was severe, in most cultures a Prince Consort had to remain faithful to the princess. Moreover, in this world with mana, there was virtually no gender gap.
I had no such intention, but even if I became a duke, the princess would also receive a ducal title, making her rank equal to or higher than mine as her husband.
"But Young Master. A connection with the Imperial Family is..."
The knight who came as a messenger tried to say something, but I cut him off and asked a question.
"Do you know what kind of life I want?"
"...I do not."
"A wealthy unemployed person."
It was a sincere desire that penetrated to my bones.
"...Pardon?"
"Doing historical research in moderation, traveling the world in moderation."
This fantastic fantasy world. So many places to go, so much to see. And...
I shrugged my shoulders.
"Keeping three wives and four concubines. That kind of life."
I deliberately emphasized it.
Three wives and four concubines.
Wouldn't even the Imperial Family wave this off?
I thought so, but. Unexpectedly, the messenger nodded.
What's with this guy?
"Actually, the Royal Family... doesn't expect the son of the Duke, famous as a womanizer, to devotedly look at only one woman with pure loyalty."
"...What?"
"I heard the Imperial Family also expects that since you inherited the Duke's military talent, you would have inherited... that aspect of the Duke as well."
They think I'll cheat because I take after Father?
And knowing that, they're still proposing marriage?
"Wait. The Imperial Family would tolerate the princess's husband cheating?"
"Rather than tolerate... they wouldn't make a big issue of it."
It was strange.
Too strange.
That would tarnish the Imperial Family's reputation.
Normally, it would be absolutely unacceptable.
But it's okay?
"Is the princess from a humble maternal background?"
If they were marrying her off carelessly for that reason, it would make sense.
A concubine's child. A princess with a weak maternal family.
For such a princess, they might not bother scrutinizing her husband's conduct.
But.
"No. She is Her Majesty the Empress's daughter."
"Who on earth put my name forward? Father?"
Father would be capable of it. Duke Krustein. The Empire's greatest military power. If he pushed for it, even the Imperial Family would find it difficult to refuse.
But.
"His Excellency the Duke... has no particular interest in this marriage proposal."
"No interest?"
"Yes. I heard he only said to handle it as you see fit."
Handle it as you see fit.
A truly Father-like response.
In fact, that indifference would have made the Imperial Family even more desperate.
They wanted to tie down the Krustein ducal house, but the person in question had no interest. From the Imperial Family's perspective, they had no choice but to be more proactive.
"Then who pushed for it?"
"His Majesty the Emperor's aunt... I heard Duchess Clara strongly advocated for it."
Silence descended.
I could feel Lise's breathing stop beside me.
Sir Heinrich's expression had also hardened.
Duchess Clara.
That old hag who tried to kill me last time.
The poisoned sandwich. The dawn assassin. All of it was her doing.
And now that person is pushing for a marriage proposal?
"...Ah. That person."
I said nothing more.
There was much to say, but I couldn't call the Emperor's aunt "the old hag who tried to kill me" in front of the messenger.
Lise cautiously opened her mouth.
"Young Master, that person last time..."
"I know."
I cut her off shortly.
Since the assassination failed, is she trying a different method this time?
A marriage proposal.
Does she plan to place me under Imperial control through a political marriage?
Or is it another trap?
"And... His Excellency the Duke will arrive here within a few days."
I turned my head.
"Father?"
"Yes. He said he would meet you directly."
Father is coming.
After suppressing the southern rebellion, all the way here.
"I see."
**
Two weeks later.
A cavalry force approached.
It looked to be easily several thousand riders.
The horseman at the front was particularly noticeable. A physique half a span larger than the others. An overwhelming presence even from a distance.
It was Father.
But.
"What is thaat?"
Lise's voice trembled.
I saw it too.
Something was hanging from the horse's flanks. Round, black, swaying things. At first I thought they were sacks. Containing supplies or spoils of war.
They weren't.
As they drew closer, the shapes became clear.
Human heads.
Not just one. Not only on Father's horse, but hanging in rows on the following cavalry as well. Ten, twenty, countless numbers.
And the smell.
The wind blew.
A rotting stench stabbed my nose. Nauseating and sickly sweet, the smell of decay. My brow furrowed involuntarily.
I heard someone retching behind me.
It was the prisoners.
The Kuman tribal warriors who had been bound in a line. Their faces had turned deathly pale. Some were trembling, others stumbled backward and fell.
They must have recognized whose heads those were.
Father's cavalry stopped.
Silence descended.
Father dismounted. Heavy footsteps. The bloodstains on his armor hadn't dried yet.
Had he encountered Kuman remnants on the way?
A thousand men.
Those heads were the traces of those thousand men.
"I greet Father."
I bowed first.
Father's gaze swept over me. He nodded once. That was all.
"We greet our liege."
Sir Heinrich and the other knights all greeted him in unison.
Father's footsteps stopped.
In front of Sir Heinrich.
"Hey, Heinrich."
A low, thick voice.
"Yes, my liege."
"I heard you had some fun with Adrian. How many did you kill?"
Sir Heinrich paused for a moment.
"I killed two."
"...Two?"
Father's eyebrow rose.
"Only two?"
"Yes. Two."
Father's gaze shifted from Sir Heinrich to me.
An unspoken question.
I turned my head to look behind.
"Bring them."
As the order fell, soldiers moved.
The prisoners who had been kept back for a moment were dragged forward.
Kuman tribal warriors. With handcuffs on, bound by ropes. As promised, they'd been fed decently, so their appearance itself wasn't bad. But their eyes were filled with terror.
Naturally.
Behind Father, the heads of their kinsmen hung in rows. Reeking of rot. Hanging as if glaring at them through eye sockets where eyeballs had fallen out.
"Ho."
Father murmured.
Eyes carefully examining the prisoners.
"This is unexpected. You captured them rather than killing them."
"Yes."
"Explain, Adrian."
I stepped forward.
"First, I assessed the enemy's internal situation."
"Internal situation?"
"Yes. That man is the witness."
I pointed at Kuuluk.
The former Great Warrior with mana-suppressing handcuffs. He flinched as he received Father's gaze. But he soon straightened his posture.
"Speak."
I commanded.
Kuuluk opened his mouth.
"...The situation in the northern steppe is not good."
His voice trembled slightly, but was clear.
"This year's winter is particularly harsh. There's insufficient grass to feed livestock, and those freezing to death are appearing in succession."
"So you came down to plunder?"
At Father's question, Kuuluk nodded.
"That's correct. But that's not all."
"What else is there?"
"The Ice Dragon has awakened."
Silence descended.
Father's expression changed subtly. A change so small it was hard to notice. But I definitely saw it.
His eyes narrowed.
"...Continue."
"As the Ice Dragon awakened, several tribes were pushed southward. The land narrowed, competition between tribes intensified. It's a situation of starving wolves tearing at each other."
I picked up from Kuuluk's words.
"I exploited that point."
"How?"
"The tribal alliance is only an alliance on the surface. In reality, each chieftain only looks after his own tribe. So I used bait to deliberately scatter them."
Father nodded.
"As bait?"
"Yes. I threw wagons loaded with grain as bait. The starving couldn't resist and rushed in, and I struck at the divided gap."
Father snorted.
A sound that could be either laughter or derision.
"And I challenged them to single combat. I stepped forward."
Sir Heinrich added.
Father looked at Sir Heinrich.
"They accepted?"
"Yes."
"You caught both?"
"That's correct."
"How many exchanges?"
"The first was two exchanges. The second was one exchange."
Father chuckled.
"You haven't gotten rusty."
"You're too kind."
It was a brief conversation, but the atmosphere flowing between the two was different.
Comfortable. The trust between lord and vassal who had been together for many years.
I felt a moment of alienation, but decided not to mind it.
"But Adrian. If I had challenged them to single combat, would they have accepted?"
I was momentarily speechless.
Is he joking?
Father's expression was indifferent. As always, a face difficult to read emotions from.
But fine wrinkles were forming at the corners of his eyes. A hint of laughter.
It's a joke.
Probably.
"I don't think they would have."
I answered.
"Why?"
"Fighting Sir Heinrich is like going toe-to-toe with an ogre. If you stake your life, it's worth trying."
I paused briefly.
"But fighting Father is like going toe-to-toe with a dragon. No matter how brave, they'd know it's suicide."
Father snorted.
This time it was definitely laughter.
"Right, it's a joke."
Father turned his head. His gaze directed north. The direction where the heads hung. The steppe beyond. And further beyond, where the Ice Dragon had been sleeping.
A moment of silence passed.
"An Ice Dragon."
It was a low murmur. But the weight contained in those words was heavy.
"A real dragon has awakened. My blood boils."
Your blood boils at facing a dragon?
Is this person really human?
Of course it must be a joke.
Surely he's not really planning to hunt the Ice Dragon, just typical warrior bravado. An instinctive reaction to want to fight when seeing a strong enemy. Something like that.
"The Duke is often like a child."
A cunning voice was heard.
My heart felt like it stopped.
"Dragon Slayer. I'd think you're at an age to stop dreaming such dreams."
I turned my head.
Behind Father's cavalry. The place I'd been deliberately avoiding looking at.
White hair. A wrinkled face. But only the eyes were sharp. A viper's eyes. Eyes watching prey.
A status where no one would find it strange even if she didn't use honorifics toward Father.
And.
The poisoned sandwich. The dawn assassin. The mastermind behind it all.
The old hag who tried to kill me.
Duchess Clara.
Her eyes and mine met.